Top Searches:

Making and implementing resolutions

Whenever I think of preparing for a new day, for a new year, leaving behind the old, I am always reminded of the cry of John the Baptist, who declared, “ Voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye, the way of the Lord! Make his path straight!”

One, what resolution should we make again for this new year and two, the most important part – implement the resolution – not just make resolutions.

Resolutions

One of the best resolutions to make for oneself and for the world at large, is to say that from today onwards, from this New Year – from 2012, I will not only take care of myself, but I will also, in the best capacity possible, however little it may be, take care of a less fortunate human being.. a resolution that ‘I shall now watch myself regularly and practice not hurting anyone. Not hurting by word – not only by deed and (also) by thought. You know how powerful words are! So, watch yourself. Be careful of what you say. Make sure it does not hurt.

Ninety percent of the troubles in this world, for us, are caused by not talking responsibility. My Master used to say, before you speak, follow three principles.

One - What am I going to say? Wait, don’t just blabber, think! What am I going to say. Think carefully,

Two - who am I going to say this to? Something maybe true but it may not be something that I should tell to this particular person. Truth sometimes is double edged. It could hurt; it could cause problems. So be careful, even if one is speaking the truth, is this the right person to say this to now?

Three - under what situation am I going to state this? Even if it is a fact - because even the best things may not be suited to a particular situation, a particular group of people.

So, if we could follow these three principles, many of our problems will be solved. What am I going to say? To whom am I going to say this to and what is the situation in which I am saying this?

Above all, the most important thing for a human being, I believe, is not to cause pain to other human beings. In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter twelve, which is called ‘The yoga of devotion’ or ‘Bhakti Yoga’, Krishna tells Arjuna that one of the most important qualities of a devotee of mine is “sarva bhoota hitey rataha” – which means that ‘he who has compassion, who is kind to all living beings on this earth. Such a person I consider to be very close to me.’ Krishna is not speaking as Krishna, a person, but as the manifestation of the Supreme Being. So, the nearest person to the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being, to God, is one, who has in his heart, kindness & compassion to all living beings on this earth.

The other thing that one can do is to sit down, take a piece of paper, and note down point by point – the characteristics and habits that we find in ourselves and which we think are negative and which need to be overcome and changed. Note them down and then, carefully, in the morning as you wake up to a new dawn, go through this again and begin to implement ways and means to get free of the negative tendencies. It can be done!

The only way to get rid of negativity is to bring in positivity. You can’t remove negativity by keeping on thinking about it. You can replace it with positive thinking.

So, let us implement the resolutions that saying, “I will become a better person. I will no longer allow the negativities to remain in my mind. I will try my best to share what I have with others. I will do a kind deed every day. This is my resolution and I am going to implement it.”

The secret of implementing a resolution

As the great Kabir Das said many hundred years ago, “ kal karey so aaj kar, aaj karey so ab…” which means “What you are supposed to do tomorrow, do it today – and what you are supposed to do today, do it right now!” There is no other way. Postponement always ends in failure.

How to implement it? There is no short cut. KEEP PRACTICING, practicing, and practicing! For, there is no other way. The yoga sutras of Patanjali, while discussing the question of how to be… how to control the mind; how to make it one pointed; how to free it from the agitations that constantly assail it? Patanjali says there is only one way –Nirantara deergha kaala abhyaasaThat means continuous ‘Practice, practice, practice for a long long time’– this is the only way to implement your resolutions; to clear up your mind; to make it positive and to free it from negativity.

Wish you a very very Happy New Year. May you turn a new leaf and become a useful, positive, happy, tranquil and energetic human being – stand proud as the great warrior of truth and happiness, ready to strike down anything that is negative, anything that is not positive.